Theatre Artist

Frankenstein’s Wake

A Solo Performance by Raymond Bobgan and Holly Holsinger

Performed by Holly Holsinger

Directed by Raymond Bobgan

FOR AVAILABILITY, BOOKING OR OTHER QUESTIONS CONTACT: Holly Holsinger

216-287-4763, hol2965@gmail.com

ABOUT THE PLAY

This twisted adaptation of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece revives a tour-de-force performance by Holly Holsinger. First performed off-Broadway in 1997 by Cleveland’s Theatre Labyrinth, FRANKENSTEIN’S WAKE met critical acclaim and was described as “an exhilarating bravura performance,” by Time Out New York. With this restaging of the work, Bobgan and Holsinger seek to reflect a deeper knowledge and evolved perspective on the themes of longing, the search for one’s origin, conflict with the maker and what it means to be human.

Holsinger relies on the timbre of her voice and on supple movement to imbue Shelley’s Frankenstein with a vital Gothic aura…an exhilarating bravura performance. Time Out New York

Holsinger begins with a creepy silent opening, black laced, and encircled with haunting vocals. At this point, we don’t know who she is, and that become quite apparent when the question is asked, “Figure it out?!” What we are figuring out at this point is who is our narrator of this story…Tpography

Holly Holsinger, in a tour de force performance, is captivating. Alone on stage during the entire performance, she transforms herself from a crazy sister of a wandering explorer/sailor into an ambitious scientist, to an abandoned soul desperate for companionship. Changes are highlighted by costume, makeup and lighting alterations.Cool Cleveland

8 minute trailer:

Full length video available upon request

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Frankenstein’s Wake travels with a stage manager and is designed to be performed completely solo or with several members of a female choir. Running time is 60 minutes. The performance can be executed in traditional black box theatres and in non-traditional settings. The playing space is roughly 15’x 30’ and the audience seating is intimate, set up in an alley configuration. The show requires a general wash of light, but can be highlighted with lighting cues if available. The set consists of simple furniture pieces and props and two large “laboratory” tables. Ground plan available upon request.

In designing their ritualistic exploration of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Cleveland performer Holly Holsinger and director Raymond Bobgan display an exquisite visual sense. They’ve transformed the bare-bones Link’s Hall space into a funereal surgical theater, with two long rows of chairs facing each other shrouded in white.Chicago Reader

For those wishing to discover the true and unblemished story concerning Victor Frankenstein and his “daemon” creations,” Holly Holsinger gives an astoundingly honest portrayal of all the characters involved in what is considered the very first “science fiction” work. AXS

BIOGRAPHIES

Raymond Bobganserves as the Executive Artistic Director of Cleveland Public Theatre, a theatre company dedicated to new work, ensemble creation, and community engagement. Raymond specializes in working through an ensemble process to create new performances that are bold, multilayered and highly physical. In 2014 he became the first recipient of the Cleveland Arts Prize in the discipline of Theatre. Raymond’s work has been seen in Romania, Brazil, Denmark, Serbia, Turkey, The United Kingdom and Canada and has been featured in American Theatre Magazine, Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Journal and in Lisa Wolford’s book Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research. Raymond has created many works for CPT including: Rusted Heart Broadcast; Insomnia: The Waking of Herselves, with Holly Holsinger and Chris Seibert; Cut to Pieces, with Chris Seibert; Blue Sky Transmission: A Tibetan Book of the Dead, co-produced by CPT and La Mama ETC (NY); and The Confessions of Punch and Judy, co-produced by CPT, North American Cultural Laboratory (NY), and Number 11 Theatre (Toronto), which was published in New Canadian Theatre Volume 9.

In 1994, Raymond initiated the Student Theatre Enrichment Program, a job training program that engages at-risk youth in writing, producing and performing new plays. In 2000, Raymond co-founded a similar program with homeless men, The Y-Haven Theatre Project. Both programs continue to experience success and longevity.

Raymond is a two-time recipient of the Creative Workforce Fellowship (2010 for theatre, 2014 for music composition), a program of the Community Partnership for Arts and Culture funded by the Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. In 2015 Raymond received Equality Ohio’s Ally Award for his activism and support of the LGBTQ community. He is an alumnus of Theatre Communications Group/Pew Charitable Trust’s National Theatre Artist Residency Program and currently serves on the TCG Board of Directors. Raymond currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Board of the National New Play Network (NNPN), is the Treasurer and Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and Co-Chairs the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Holly Holsingerhas been a devising theatre artist for twenty-five years. She has participated in the creation of over twenty original plays in collaborative partnerships, serving also as performer or director and composer. Holly recently remounted her solo performance Frankenstein’s Wake at Cleveland Public Theatre (CPT), and received critical raves and audience acclaim. Frankenstein’s Wake had previously toured to New York, Chicago, and was featured at the Grotowski at Irvine and Beyond Conference at UC Irvine. She co-wrote (with Chris Seibert) and directed Ancestra at CPT, a play about women’s rights in Ohio, which grew from community explorations and historical research. Another recent work, Insomnia: The Waking of Herselves, co-devised (With Chris Seibert and Raymond Bobgan) and performed at CPT and North American Cultural Laboratory, examines concepts of female identity and “wholeness.” Holsinger’s work has been described by critics as “magic,” “captivating,” and “a tour de force.” Frankenstein’s Wake, was hailed as “an exhilarating bravura performance” by Time Out New York. Her performance and creative contributions in the groundbreaking work Blue Sky Transmission: A Tibetan Book of the Dead (at CPT and La Mama ETC in New York) also earned her rave reviews, most notably in American Theatre Magazine and The New York Times. Holsinger’s work has been featured in Canadian Theatre Review, Theatre Journal and in Lisa Wolford’s book Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research. She has performed throughout the US, Canada, Romania, Belgium, and Brazil, and has shared her performance research with artists in Denmark, Colombia, Spain, and Ireland. Holly was the recipient of a 2016 Creative Workforce Fellowship.

An Associate Professor at Cleveland State University, Holsinger specializes in acting, voice, movement, and devised theatre. She recently received a Distinguished Faculty Award, the University’s top honor for teaching. Holly has a special interest in the power of theatre for marginalized artists and minorities at all levels of craft. She has been active in creating CSU programs designed for disadvantaged students and continues to teach in education programs for “at risk” teens and for children in public housing. Holsinger received an MFA in Acting from the University of California, Irvine where she studied with Robert Cohen and Jerzy Grotowski. She was a four-year participant in Grotowski’s Objective Drama Research. Holly is a certified Associate Teacher of Fitzmaurice Voicework.

SCHEDULE AND PRICING

Please call for particulars, since the price will vary based on venue, location and producer. Workshops and/or multiple performances are available. CONTACT: Holly Holsinger, 216-287-4763, hol2965@gmail.com.